5 Crazy/Creative Responses to Negative Reviews

Business owners often fret over negative online reviews, and with good reason: lots of research shows how insanely influential reviews are, like this report’s finding that 4 out of 5 consumers reverse their purchase decisions based on negative online reviews.

But as we’ve said before (see, for example, “The Good News About Bad Reviews” in Grade.us founder Jon Hall’s The Marketer’s Guide to Customer Reviews), sometimes negative reviews actually have a lot of upside, highlighting unique selling points of a company’s offering–or at least providing an opportunity for the company to showcase its customer service, attitude and sense of humor.

Here are 5 crazy/creative responses to negative reviews that may or may not be worth imitating!

Sandwich Shop Advertises Worst Meatball Sandwich Of Yelper’s Life

Armed with a bit of that famous New York chutzpah, the Joe Dough Sandwich Shop turned one Yelper’s hyperbolic criticism into it’s new sales pitch: “Come in and try the worst meatball sandwich that one guy on Yelp ever had in his life.”

Pizzeria Turns 1-Star Reviews Into Sassy T-shirts

Right in Yelp’s backyard, Delfina Pizzeria went a step further, having staff wear t-shirts featuring obnoxious one-star reviews, like “The pizza was soooo greasy. I’m assuming this was in part due to the pig fat.”

They also apparently have one that just says, “This place sucks.” Thanks a lot, Yelp.

The Alamo Drafthouse movie theater has a strict no-tolerance policy on texting in the theater, which many patrons really appreciate. When one spirited youth was tossed out of the theater for texting during the show, she left an enraged voicemail that Alamo Drafthouse turned into a video, essentially demonstrating the virtue of their no-tolerance policy for them.

Rock Star Sings Brilliant NSFW Response to a British Tabloid Review

Musician Amanda Palmer wrote and performed “Dear Daily Mail” in response to the tabloid’s unflattering review of her Glastonbury Festival concert. The review allegedly spoke nothing of her music or the performance but focused entirely on a “wardrobe malfunction” that Palmer says “happens all the time.” This is NSFW.

Restaurant Closes With Epic Rant Against “Sorry-Assed, Rednecked” Former Patrons